From George Washington to Great White Whales, From the Little Bighorn to the Mayflower: A Conversation with Nathaniel Philbrick

“I like to probe the darkness at the edges of our nation’s history. Instead of the triumphs, I’m most interested in the struggle. Whether it’s the twenty crew members of a whaleship that’s just been rammed by a whale or a group of religious refugees left on an unfamiliar coast by an old leaky ship called the Mayflower, I’m compelled to explore what happens to people in the worst of times, especially when it comes to issues of leadership.” Nathaniel Philbrick Most academic texts on history tend to be heavy on accuracy but also painfully tedious. Most popular writers of history are entertaining but often obscenely inaccurate. It is not common to run into someone who is a meticulous researcher AND also a brilliant writer. The man I get to chat with today is precisely one of those exceptions. To put it simply, Nathaniel Philbrick is one of the very best writers of history you can run into. In the first half of today’s episode, I interview Nathaniel. After the interview, I discuss some of the stories Nathaniel has covered in his book, with particular attention on the topic of Nathaniel’s book In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, the tale that inspired Moby Dick.